Site-Wide Activity

Men’s basketball season preview: New-look Marauders aim to continue Millersville’s winning ways Isaiah Tobi […] “”

New York Knicks acquire Karl-Anthony Towns Ben Staker Sports […] “”

46,889 fans say farewell to the Athletics Joshua […] “”

Pirates cut Rowdy Tellez over $200,000 Joshua […] “”

Graduate Opportunities at Millersville The Department of English and World Languages has many versatile options for students who want to continue their education after […]

Thesis StatementsHello everyone, welcome to another blog post written by yours truly, Jake Long. Today we will talking about the elusive perfect […]

Residence Hall Fall Break 2024 Bulletin Fall Break will start at 5pm on Friday, October 11, 2024. All students planning to stay for Fall Break must register by completing the […]

MU’s Bryanna Nase Interns at the American Philosophical Society From working in MU’s archives to scanning paper objects and harvesting metadata in the heart of Philadelphia, Bryanna Nase has done it all.Nase, a sophomore at Millersville majoring in history, spent her summer interning at the American Philosophical Society. Through this internship, Nase had one-of-a-kind experience working with data, transcribing diaries kept by Quaker women during the Revolutionary War and writing blog posts about Quaker households in the late 1700s.When asked what drew her to apply for the internship, Nase shared that it was her fascination with working in archives.“Archives are magical places—I learned that here at Millersville,” says Nase. “I wanted to learn more about the field and gain practical skills to do the work.”Though her work at MU was research-based, Nase was new to digitization and transcription. APS gave her the skills she needed to succeed in her internship and beyond, and she learned how to use eScriptorium, a program that recognizes historical text and aids in the transcription process.A favorite part of Nase’s internship was the weekly “Career Chat” hosted for the interns on-site.“Someone from a different department would spend an hour telling us about their career path, how they got to the APS, and what they love about their job. It was heartwarming to see people so excited and passionate about their job,” says Nase. “It was also reassuring to hear how many of them did not have their careers figured out immediately. Everyone took a different path to get where they are today.”Nase recommends that other students apply for the internship, as it was an amazing experience and opportunity for her.“Apply for anything that piques your interest, even if you’re not confident you’ll get it. You’ll get better at writing cover letters and explaining why you want to work in a certain field the more you apply,” says Nase.While the internship is for summer only, students interested in applying should frequent the C. Dallett Hemphill Summer Internship Program page on the APS website for more information about Summer 2025. For information on all internships through Millersville University visit […] “MU’s Bryanna Nase Interns at the American Philosophical Society”

Extremely Rare Photography Collection at Millersville You’d never guess that deep in the archives of the McNairy Library on Millersville University’s campus there are one-of-a-kind photos of key figures from the Harlem Renaissance. They include original portraits of Ella Fitzgerald, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gloria Vanderbilt, the now-late James Earl Jones and more. The collection from Carl Van Vechten is massive, and much of it is still being processed due to its size. It also includes Van Vechten’s personal writings and correspondence.   The photos were taken by famed photographer Van Vechten and presently, one of the photographs is on loan to the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. It’s a stunning and rare portrait of Nora Holt, a much-lauded musician of the Harlem Renaissance era. The photo is part of a traveling exhibit called “Brilliant Exiles: American Women in Paris, 1900 – 1939,” and the image of Holt will be on loan until December 2025. The exhibition showcases female African American artists who traveled to Paris seeking more rights and artistic freedoms than they had in the United States at that time.   While other collections of Van Vechten’s work exist at the Library of Congress, the New York Public Library and Yale University, this particular image of Holt could only be found in Millersville’s collection. The collection at Millersville is also assumed to be one of the largest, and spans decades with items from 1932 to 1964.   How did the collection land at Millersville University? Late professor emeritus of English, Dr. Bruce Kellner, who passed away in 2019, was a longtime friend and mentee of Van Vechten. He was also Van Vechten’s biographer and the executor of the famous photographer’s physical estate. Kellner himself was photographed by Van Vechten numerous times. Millersville University offers an art course, History & Aesthetics of Photography, that makes use of the incredible collection.   “Our collection may be unique because Kellner was the executor of his will. What we have in our archives may be from the artists’ personal collection,” says Frank Vitale, Assistant Professor, and University Archivist and Special Collections Librarian. “It’s a legacy of  [Kellner’s] dedication to the institution and his belief in using these materials that we have such a fantastic collection here for our students.”  WHAT WAS THE HARLEM RENNAISSANCE?  Van Vechten was renowned for his documentation of key figures in Harlem during that pivotal time. This renaissance was a flourishing of Black art and culture in Harlem in New York City during the late 1900s and early 20th century due to diaspora African Americans leaving the South post-Civil War. As Vitale describes, saying, “It was a seedbed of African American creativity.”   More key figures from this time that Van Vechten photographed include the artist Langston Hughes, who was widely regarded as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance, the jazz singer Ethel Waters and more. To see a list of some of the other famous faces in archives, explore the links below:  To see more of the collection in person, please contact the Special Collections team located in the McNairy Library, a part of University College, with advanced notice by emailing Special.Collections@millersville.edu or calling 717-871-7134. To make a gift to Archives and Special Collections, visit millersville.edu/give2mu and select Archives and Special Collections Discretionary Fund from the drop down menu. Those inquiring from the media should note that Van Vechten’s collections are protected under copyright and will require licensin […] “Extremely Rare Photography Collection at Millersville”

¡Viva Millersville! Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Millersville University is joining the nation in honoring Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. The month-long celebration highlights the contributions of Hispanic Americans to the United States. The festivities kicked off with a speed networking event featuring Café Bustelo on Sept. 16. A Hispanic Movie Night with the Society on Latino Affairs followed on Sept. 25. Upcoming highlights include: “Landscape of a LatinX Identity” Discussion: Dr. Williams will lead a discussion on Oct. 1 at 6 p.m. in the Student Memorial Center Atrium. Celebrating Celia Cruz: A movie night and giveaway will take place on Oct. 3 at 5:30 p.m. in the Student Memorial Center Multipurpose Room. Fiesta Del Barrio: The month-long celebration will culminate with a fiesta on Oct. 10 from 3 to 6 p.m., featuring dancing, food trucks, music and more in the Student Memorial Center Atrium and on the Promenade. Hispanic Heritage Month began in the 1960s as a way to recognize the achievements of Hispanic Americans. President Ronald Reagan expanded the celebration to a month-long observance in 1988. For more information, visit the Intercultural Center for Student Engagement at Rita Smith Wade-El Intercultural Center or check out the Society on Latino Affairs on […] “¡Viva Millersville! Celebrating Hispanic Heritage”

Robotic WorX: Cultivating Tomorrow's Engineering Innovators Today   In its pilot year, the Robotic Worx program has engaged hundreds of local students with real world engineering challenges, helped […]

Fraternity and Sorority Life holds Hazing Prevention Fair Breonna […] “”

Jhariah rocks the house at Millersville’s Phantom Power venue Michael Keehan Staff Writer When you’re about to give a performance, people usually tell you to “break a leg!” as a cheeky way of wishing you good luck. Seems rising pop-punk star Jhariah Clare, known anonymously as Jhariah, misheard it as “cut a leg!” instead. The Bronx musician, who uses he/they pronouns, was performing in Philadelphia when he cut his leg from his energetic performance style. Despite healing, it sored back while he and his band performed at Millersville’s local music venue Phantom Power. In both scenarios, however, Jhariah’s “show must go on” mentality motivated them to continue the incredible show. The two shows are kicking off their “Command” mini tour promoting their album “Trust Ceremony.” I arranged a questionnaire with Jhariah while he and his band packed up for their next show in Champaign, Illinois, giving me time to enjoy the show. The opening act was an artist by the name of BoyJr. They performed the show themselves with a laptop and used a minimalist setup to connect with the audience. They ended with a group performance of My Chemical Romance’s “Teenagers,” a song the audience knew by heart. Soon, Jhariah took the stage, and he rocked out with his “no genre, all drama” style. They combined emo, jazz, theater and J-rock to make an energetic environment that benefitted the abundant energy Jhariah had. They had fun with their bandmates and audience, and the backing band matched up to Jhariah’s high level of talent. It’s also the only modern rock band I can think of with a persistent saxophone player, further proving the unique nature of the show. After an unforgettable show, they and BoyJr stayed after to sell merch and talk with fans. As the band loaded up the tour van, I got to meet with Jhariah and have a lovely conversation with one of the coolest people I’ll ever get to know. They talked about how this was the first of five shows they played in eight days, creating a rush to get everyone together and ready. None of them had heard of Millersville or Phantom Power, and found the campus and venue to be lovely, getting along well with the crew at Phantom Power. Jhariah gave a lot of love to their backing band, their opening act of BoyJr, and the band Pinkshift, a punk band from my home state of Maryland, who they collaborated with on the song “EAT YOUR FRIENDS.” He also recommended a few albums: Remi Wolf’s “Big Ideas,” Ashnikko’s “WEEDKILLER,” and Jean Dawson’s “CHAOS NOW.” They also talked about the song “MAYBE LATER DANCE.” The song is a vulnerable song about his fear of taking risks, and how he wants to participate in the things he finds exciting yet scary. I definitely relate to that song, and while I am far from a musician, I know there is a strong music community here at Millersville, and I wouldn’t be surprised if many of them relate to this song. Before I parted ways with them, I asked Jhariah if he had anything to say to musicians at Millersville, and he said “The cool thing about music is you get to access part of yourself that’s harder to access, and the best thing is to be brave and do things that are scary.” We hope to see Jhariah at Millersville soon, and I will defi […] “Jhariah rocks the house at Millersville’s Phantom Power venue”

The Value of Studying Games as a Graduate Student – Guest Writer Quinn Haldeman Students in Dr. Nicole Pfannenstiel’s summer Games and Writing class crafted blog posts exploring play theory. Over the next several w […]

A taste of Italy: Celebrating heritage at Lititz L’Italia Festival 2024 Breonna Dull Features Editor On Sept. 21, 2024, Lititz Springs Park was alive with the flavor, art, and music of Italy. More guests than ever attended the third annual L’Italia Italian Festival of Lititz, PA, hosted by the Keystone Italian Project. Food vendors, businesses, non-profits, and family-friendly activities stretched the length of the park. Artisan vendors displayed their work in the Villaggio Artigiano craft village and the Fiat Club of Central Pennsylvania showcased classic Italian cars. Guests delighted in authentic Italian cuisine, Italian-inspired dishes, and local offerings from the VFW’s Beer and Wine Garden. The L’Italia Festival is the product of a shared dream: celebrating Italy’s culture in American Society. The idea was born from a group of Italian-Americans who, driven by a passion for their heritage, wanted to create a festival that honors their traditions and connects with new generations. Many of the event’s organizers were born in Italy and emigrated to the U.S. Young families saw the opportunity to enrich their children’s understanding of their heritage. “They really wanted to infuse their children with the spirit of that culture,” said Mary Cae, the assistant organizer of the festival. “They wanted to highlight Italian American culture in a variety of ways and keep in touch with each other.” For Nella Steward of the Lancaster Italian Cultural Society, the event holds personal significance. Born and raised in Rome, Steward moved to the U.S. at age 17, living in New Jersey before settling in Lancaster. For her, the festival is a way to stay connected to her roots while sharing a sense of common identity with others. “The event today has exposed us to so many people,” Steward shared. “It was so much fun because we brought in a map of Italy, and people gladly stopped by and told me their stories. We’d look for the town they came from and place a marker. You can see that they are grateful for doing this today and proud of where they come from.” Outside the festival, Steward is dedicated to sharing Italian culture through the Lancaster Italian Cultural Society. It was founded 25 years ago after the previous Italian-American society folded. A group of mostly Italian immigrant families founded the group to preserve their heritage and familiar way of life. Their goal was to teach their children about their origins, customs, history, language, and culinary arts, ensuring the culture they loved remained alive. Today, the society is thriving with around 180 families actively involved. They organize a variety of enriching activities, from language lessons to trips to New York and Italy, social gatherings, and meetings with guest speakers. The society is eager to welcome anyone interested in Italian heritage, regardless of background.  “You don’t have to be Italian,” Steward emphasized. “We don’t care about your ethnicity, race, or religion—everyone is welcome. We have fun and learn so much together.”  The festival also featured a wide variety of events that truly captured the spirit of Italy. Guests admired classic Italian cars, indulged in traditional foods, participated in cultural activities, and enjoyed live performances.  One of the participating organizations, The Anchor in Lancaster, was present to share their mission and services with attendees. Originally starting as a simple coffee gathering after church, The Anchor has since expanded into a vital resource for the community. It now offers breakfast, a day center, showers, case management, street outreach, and assistance with housing, education, and healthcare. Their goal is to provide a safe and welcoming space for anyone in need, offering a break from harsh realities and a place to recharge, both physically and mentally. Nonprofits such as the Anchor highlight the importance of community and allow attendees to get involved.  Beyond the entertainment, the festival holds a deeper purpose: to preserve the culture and traditions of Italy, especially for younger generations and those who may not have a direct link to the country. “There’s a little piece of Italy here today and I am able to be who I really am,” Steward said. “I think I brought joy to a lot of people, even just a little bit, by speaking Italian, sharing recipes, and inviting them to be a member of our society.”     Plans for future festivals will only grow inviting more guests and partnerships. In previous years, organizers sought out businesses to participate, but now businesses are approaching them. This shift marks a significant milestone in the festival’s growth and popularity, proving its growing reputation as a beloved community event. Each year, the festival promises to become bigger and better, offering a genuine taste of Italy to all who attend. “I want to share what I have and who I am,” said Nella. “This is home, but Italy is where I was born, and it really calls you back.” You can find the festival’s website at lititz.it or their Facebook page at lanc.news/litalia24 for future events. To engage in Italian cultural events and information, visit the Lancaster Italian Cultural Society’s website https://www.lanca […] “A taste of Italy: Celebrating heritage at Lititz L’Italia Festival 2024”

Actor James Earl Jones has died at 93 years old James Earl Jones poses for the camera. PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Kaitlyn Leister Associate Arts & Culture Editor On Sept. 9, James Earl Jones passed away at the age of 93.  His most notable roles were the voice behind Mufasa in “The Lion King” and Darth Vader in many renditions of “Star Wars.” Jones was a legendary actor on stage and screen, though according to an article by the New York Times, with a collection of at least one Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony; he does not fit into the category of an EGOT. Some are arguing that his Oscar was an Honorary award and so it does not count in EGOT status. Though some are still contesting that he is an EGOT and others are contesting he is not. His list of achievements and roles in various stage plays, television shows, and movies show an entire life of a dedicated actor. His 2012 Academy Award Honorary Oscar was for Lifetime Achievement, and he deserved it. His voice being used for two figures that made a lot of people’s childhoods will forever cement him as a legend to multiple generations. May he rest in peace, his life filled with giving the […] “Actor James Earl Jones has died at 93 years old”

Have you ever wanted to be at the bottom of the food chain? There's a game for that. Emma Fox Staff Writer Have you heard of a game called “Rain World?” Probably not. It was not well advertised, and the only reason I heard of it was a handful of animations about the game I saw. And this game was released in 2017! And I only heard of it in 2023! And then I bought it a year later! Crazy. In essence, “Rain World” is a game about survival and exploration. Surviving downpours of rain, surviving the hunger of lizards, surviving a leap of faith, exploring overgrown scrapyards, exploring spider-ridden corridors, exploring a vast open ocean. You will be wandering around aimlessly. A lot. You will be lost, you will be confused. But that is all part of the charm. You will struggle to find scraps of lore and direction. You will only be guided a bit – basic controls and mechanics – and then you will be left alone. You may be tempted to look up a guide, but I implore you not to unless necessary. I beat the basic campaign with only some Reddit posts and a few maps. You may be thinking, “the basic campaign? There’s more?” And yes my dear reader, there is more. The first campaign you will probably play is “Survivor.” Survivor, along with all the other campaigns, is a soft and squishy slug cat. A cute little blob of a thing that is trying to survive in the world. Every six to thirteen minutes, rain starts to pour down, crushing anything that cannot hibernate. And don’t think you can just hide underground, as it will flood. This happens with most of the other campaigns, too. Trying to survive the rains. Each campaign has its own goal, with some overlapping. You must play the Survivor campaign to play any of the other ones, so you will be well acquainted with the game. “Rain World’s” soundtrack is bonkers. You first listen to something like “Sundown”, and then “GREY CLOUD” and wonder what the heck is happening. You look at this cute pixel art game and think that all the music will be nice and chill. You are wrong. All the threat music is my jam, though. And the “cute pixel art” becomes less cute when you don’t see a bug on the ceiling and it jumps down on you. It is cute at some points, it is beautiful at some points. You may see a rainbow in the background, you may see the shadow of some giant bird. You might what? That’s right! A giant bird! And huge lizards! And overgrown insects! This is the lovely world of “Rain World”. If you are at all interested in the game, get it. Watch a trailer or two, look at fanart, even watch a playthrough if you are willing to spoil yourself a bit. You can even wait for it to go on sale. If you know someone who already has “Rain World”, you can play local co-op on Steam without needing to buy the game. The game is limited to Windows, but if you are a Mac player, fear not. You can get something like Porting Kit or CrossOver to play it (with mild amounts of […] “Have you ever wanted to be at the bottom of the food chain? There’s a game for that.”

The second installment of the ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ movie has been announced Kaitlyn Leister Associate Arts & Culture Editor The “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” movie has an estimated release date!  The popular first film that hit theaters on Oct. 25, 2023. It was met with low reviews from critics and decent reviews from the general public.  Now the series is getting its second installment, estimated to be on Dec. 5, 2025. This is when the studio is hoping to get the film out, but that could ultimately change with production or potential delays.  Scott Cawthon, the creator of the game series, also tweeted on his Scottgames account on Aug. 8 four pictures regarding the screenplay for the film, stating that one is real and the other three are fake. According to the movie’s IMDb page, there are only four people listed in the cast so far, all being from the first movie: Matthew Lillard as William Afton, Josh Hutcherson as Mike Schmidt, Elizabeth Lail as Vanessa, and Piper Rubio as Abby. The movie is in pre-production, so changes could be made in the future but for now, it is fan speculation of who else might appear in the film. I enjoyed the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” mo […] “The second installment of the ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ movie has been announced”

Welcome back to Trench: the Clancy World Tour Santina Cerquetelli Staff Writer On Sept. 14, 2024, I had the opportunity to attend twenty one pilots’ “Clancy World Tour” at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA, and to say it was amazing would be an understatement. I will not lie, I consider myself a seasoned concert-goer, especially a seasoned twenty one pilots fan. This was my 25th time seeing them perform live, and I can confidently say they impress every time without fail. The tour, which began on Aug. 15 in Denver at Ball Arena, was one that I, along with many other fans who were lucky enough to attend, found to be exciting as the band is known for their showmanship and audience engagement. The concert began with the opening song of their latest album, “Clancy,” and hearing the bass-boosted phrase “Welcome back to Trench” set the scene for what was to come in their show. Using various methods of entertainment, including but not limited to pyrotechnics, fire, and confetti, the energy was kept at a high from start to finish. Their music is highly conceptual, and each song can have several hidden messages, so the songs they played during the show were not only entertaining but also told a story. Tyler Joseph, the lead singer, has stated that this tour is to be considered a “rewind” of how they got to where they are today in anticipation of what will come in their music and story as a band and as people in the future. That being said, I would like to pay some attention to some things they did differently on this tour as opposed to others. In all of the tours I have seen twenty one pilots on in the past, there were some general trends that were followed regarding their setlist and when certain songs were played. On this tour there was a diversion from their “normal” that I found to be shocking; that being the placement of their song “Car Radio.” “Car Radio” has always been a song that is played towards the end of their show, always being within the last five songs of the concert. This time around, however, “Car Radio” was the fourth song played out of their 28-song setlist. Prior to the show, I tried to stay away from spoilers as I wanted the show to be as surprising as possible to me, but I heard some rumors that “Car Radio” would be towards the beginning, and I was somewhat skeptical. Unsurprisingly, however, it made sense. The placement of the song in regard to the story they were told throughout the show fit in perfectly. Another notable difference from previous tours was their crowd engagement. While they would interact with the crowd before, this tour brought it to a whole new level, and I even found myself within a few feet of both members of the band several times throughout the show. They made B-stage appearances three separate times during the show and made a clear effort to be as close to their fans as possible. Overall, this concert is definitely towards the top of my list, and twenty one pilots yet again impressed me more than ever before. I look forward to their future concerts and would recommend their concert to anyone willing to go, as it was truly a treat to experience […] “Welcome back to Trench: the Clancy World Tour”

I didn’t have a BRAT summer Emma Hazard Arts & Culture Editor With the beloved chill of fall slowly starting to creep its way into Pennsylvania, I can’t help but look back on the sweet, sweet summer vacation that was ripped from my hands far too quickly. This past summer was huge for the music industry when it comes to new releases- especially when we shine a light on what was probably many people’s “album of the summer,” “BRAT” by Charli XCX. While yes, I know that many of you out there were in fact “bumpin’ that” on your was back to the Ville this summer, I can’t help but think back on what my favorite album of this summer was. So, while I cozy up for the upcoming sweater weather, it’s time for me to finally do something that I’ve been hesitating to do since the release of “BRAT.” That’s right, I’m breaking my silence. Now before I begin, I would like to state that this isn’t a review of “BRAT.” I’ve only listened to about half of the album, so I truly have no right to state if I thought it was good or bad. However, I will say that it wasn’t exactly my taste. I would say my taste in music is rather broad. From K-pop to dad rock, and even your occasional country or screamo song- I listen to a lot of music. Unfortunately for me, however, I’m not a huge fan of club music, so I sadly had to miss out on having a “‘BRAT’ summer.” I won’t deny that there are songs on the album that I enjoyed, but overall based on what I’ve heard, the album wasn’t my cup of tea. So, I know what you’re wondering; if I wasn’t having the neon green “BRAT” summer of a lifetime, what would I say was my “album of the summer?” Well, I’ve taken it upon myself to play a little game this year with all the new music I listen to. Every new album I listen to, not new as in it came out this year, but new as in I’m hearing it for the first time, I’ve decided to rank the album on a scale of one to ten. Then at the end of this year, I’m going to make a list of my favorite and least favorite albums. From the four albums that I decided to dedicate at least 20 minutes of my undivided attention to this summer, there were some that jumped out at me more than others. For example, ATEEZ released their newest album, “Golden Hour: Part. 1” back in May, and I finally had the chance to listen to it during a long car ride in July. Currently, on a list of 11 total albums so far, “Golden Hour: Part. 1” is one of the two albums I ranked 10/10. However, even with its high rating, I would still give the title of my “album of the summer” to someone else. On the same day that I had the chance to listen to “Golden Hour: Part. 1,” I listened to Breaking Benjamin’s “Phobia” album, and boy oh boy did it rock my world. Released in 2006, this album is 43 minutes of what I would consider, in my unprofessional opinion, peak “divorced dad” rock. If you know me, you know that I absolutely despise long albums- so the idea of spending almost 45 minutes listening to an album sounded unbearable, so I was very glad to prove myself wrong. Upon first listen, I gave this album a solid 8/10. Some points were taken off for the fact that the album was so long, and for the fact that I’m still getting used to the fact that singers will scream in the middle of a song for fun. Despite these points, I found myself coming back to this album constantly over the summer. During my short commute to work, driving to see friends, and even getting ready in the morning, I found myself reaching for this album all the time. Originally, back in July, I said that this album, “was packed full of the semi-emo, grunge sound you would want from a 2006 rock album,” and I would stand by that statement almost three months later. Over these past few months, I’ve been trying to get into rock music more, so finally finding another band that I really enjoy within the genre is fantastic. If I end up reassessing my album ratings at the end of the year, I would definitely give this album a higher score. If you’re in the market for an album to help transition you from your “BRAT” summer into a crunchy leaf fall, I highly recommend breaking into the “Phobia […] “I didn’t have a BRAT summer”